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LOWER GRADES Preschool through Third Grade
Ms. Laura Levine |Pre-School Age 3 Classroom Teacher
Email: lauralevine@saoc.org
Ms. Laura is the PK3 teacher, she has been with SAC since 2019. She has been in the Early Childhood Education field for over twenty years. Ms. Laura graduated from Colombia College in Photography in 2006. She loves watching children learn something new for the first time. In her spare time she enjoys Zoo, exploring with her two daughter and watching movie.
Ms. Jamin Craft |Pre-School Age 4 Classroom Teacher
Email: craft@saoc.org
Jamin Craft is excited to be a part of SAC and brings with her years of experience in early childhood education. She is a graduate of Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago as well as the Midwest Montessori Teacher Training Center. Jamin loves to spend time with her family and their two chihuahuas. She enjoys traveling, listening to music and comedy and loves learning new things everyday.
Ms. Danielle Fazio | Kindergarten Teacher | SAC Events and School Activities Coordinator | SAC Clubs Coordinator
Email: fazio@saoc.org
Welcome to KINDERGARTEN!!! This is Ms. Danielle’s ELEVENTH year as the kindergarten teacher, and school events/ activities coordinator. This year she will also be taking on the role of clubs coordinator. This is her 18th year teaching overall during which time she has taught preschool through 2nd grade in both public and private schools. She plans exciting lessons that keep students engaged and enthusiastic about the concepts and standards being taught as students transition into a more formal school setting, both academically and socially. Danielle is a graduate of Northeastern Illinois University, with a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education, a minor in history, and holds ISBE Type 04 teaching certificate. She enjoys working with young children because they are so full of life and intrigued by everything in the world around them. The curiosity and thirst for knowledge is something she greatly admires. Danielle also coordinates, plans, and organizes various events throughout the school year including the Back to School BBQ, Fall Spooktacular/Haunted Hallway, International Night, School Spirit Week, Thanksgiving fundraiser dinner, and many others. Her goal for all events is to help build a greater community, assist in attracting public attention and getting SAC noticed, and blow off some STEAM, one event at a time! Additionally, Danielle is a candidate for National Board Certification of Professional Teaching and has been a presenter at the ILASCD Statewide Pre-K and Kindergarten Professional Development Conference for the for the last 4 years. In September 2019 she got married and lives with her husband Dean and dog Mickey, on the northwest side of Chicago. She is from a big Italian family with even bigger personalities! During her free time, she loves spending time with her family and friends, going out to new restaurants, cooking, dancing, and planning events and activities at SAC!
Ms. Suedlana Askharia | Kindergarten Teacher | Social Media Coordinator | Sunshine Coordinator
Email: askharia@saoc.org
This is Ms. Askharia’s 3rd year here at SAC! Ms. Askharia graduated from National Louis University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education, a minor in psychology, and holds a Type 03 Teaching Certificate. With over 15 years of experience working with children from preschool to 5th grade, her passion is in Kindergarten! During her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and getting lost in a good book!
Ms. Eve Otgonbayar | 1st Grade Teacher
Email: eve@saoc.org
Hello, I’m Miss Eve. This is my fourth year of teaching. I have my Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Biblical Studies from Moody Bible Institute, Chicago. I recently moved back to Chicago from Kansas City, MO, where I taught fourth and first grade. My passion is to ignite the zeal for learning in my students and to feed their curiosity for knowledge. I prioritize creating a welcoming and safe classroom community. During my free time I like to read, take long walks and paint.
Ms. Aysenur Sahin | 1st Grade Teacher
Email: aysenur@saoc.org
I have Early Childhood Education degree and ESL minor from Northeastern Illinois University. I have worked in different teaching positions last couple years. I worked as aTA in SAC for two years , and then I was an interventionist in District 54 last year. Outside of classroom, you will see me spending time with my family, taking pictures, and reading books in coffee shops.
Ms. Ellen Smith | 2nd Grade Teacher
Email: smith@saoc.org
Mrs. Smith is so excited to again join the wonderful group of staff and students here at SAC this year. She graduated with a major degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Studio Art from Northeastern Illinois University. Since then, she has worked with children of all ages and abilities in both art and self-contained general classroom settings at both private and public schools. She has been happily married for over twenty years with a son currently a Freshman at ISU. She is obsessed with her Cocker Spaniel dogs and also loves trivia, couponing, and watching reality television.
Ms. Nimira Ehani | 2nd Grade Teacher | SAC New Teacher Mentor
Email: ehani@saoc.org
This is Mrs. Ehani‘s second year at SAC, she is super excited to start her new teaching journey with the welcoming family and staff! Mrs. Ehani was working with middle school ESL students before joining SAC. She has worked with students of all ages. She likes to tie in real-world experiences when she can by inviting people who work in different industries to the classroom to share their experiences with her students. When she is not teaching, Mrs. Ehani likes to spend time with her family and friends, read, watch TV and movies, and play with her dog, Hunter (who she and her cousins are trying to make TikTok famous!). Mrs. Ehani has a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with endorsements in Middle School Education and English, from Bradley University. She also has a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction with an endorsement in ESL from Olivet Nazarene University.
Ms. Shannon Boyle | 3rd Grade Teacher
Email: boyle@saoc.org
Ms. Boyle loves bringing the fun to class. She is OBSESSED with strawberries and has kept every drawing ever made for her by her students. You can always catch her and her students smiling and laughing. Ms. Boyle earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education with honors from Northeastern Illinois University. This is her second year teaching at SAC. She previously taught in Park Ridge, Illinois at a therapeutic day school for social and emotional behaviors. Her experience working with children also includes; summer camp recreation leading, 1:1 tutoring, and judging science fairs and academic decathlons. Even as a young girl, Ms. Boyle always loved school. Now, she models her thirst for knowledge, passion, drive, and excitement for learning for her students on a daily basis. It is not unusual to see Ms. Boyle acting silly and strengthening her relationships with her students. Her goals include getting students excited to learn and feeling confident and comfortable with themselves. Ms. Boyle believes in the law of attraction and creating environments with good vibes. She works really hard to provide an all-inclusive, safe, and welcoming classroom environment that is most conducive to learning. A big part of that environment involves embracing differences and building relationships. Ms. Boyle’s personality and knowledge of her students’ personal interests facilitate her in making connections with her students, which in turn keeps them engaged in her lessons. Ms. Boyle likes to have fun outside of school as well. She loves a good adventure, exploring nature, doing DIY projects, laughing with her friends and family, and snuggling with her cats Shady and Pandora. She also enjoys sports, music concerts, dancing, and arts and crafts. With Ms. Boyle, you can count on things getting done, and having a good time!
Ms. Kubra Tuna | Teacher Assistance
Email: kubra@saoc.org
UPPER GRADES Fourth through Eighth Grade
Mr. Hasan Ali Uslu | 4th- 5th Grade Science Teacher| 4th-5th Grade Math Teacher
Email: uslu@saoc.org
Hasan Ali Uslu is one of our math and science teachers, and this is his eighth year teaching. Mr. Uslu has been teaching at SAC since 2012. He graduated from Kastamonu University in Turkey with a Bachelors in Science. He enjoys reading, poetry, basketball and spending his spare time volunteering.
Mrs. Carla Zielke | 8th Grade ELA, 4th Grade ELA and 4th Grade Social Study Teacher
Email: zielke@saoc.org
Hello! This is my tenth year at SAOC, and this year I teach eighth-grade ELA as well as fourth-grade language arts and social studies. I graduated from UW-Eau Claire with a dual major in elementary and special education and endorsements in ESL, special education, and social science. I have teaching experience in both the public and private sectors ranging from preschool to 8th grade, including special needs children. I am married and have two children. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, playing Cribbage, attending musicals and plays, and riding bike.
Mrs. Meral Aycicek | Mathematics Teacher | STREAM Coordinator
Email: meral@saoc.org
Mrs. Meral is one of the mathematics teachers at SAC. She has over 20 years of teaching experience. Mrs. Meral strongly believes that every child can master mathematics. She implements hands on mathematical activities so that her students are able to understand the importance of math and how mathematics work in the real world. Her goal is to teach every student at a level they are comfortably challenged at. Mrs. Meral graduated from Ataturk University in 1996 and her love of teaching has only grown stronger.
Mrs. Cigdem Sahin | Mathematics Teacher
Email: cigdem@saoc.org
We added a new face to our Math team! Mrs. Sahin is our new Mathematics teacher for the upper-grade classes. She has been awarded a BA degree in Mathematics from Yildiz Technical University. She has 12 years of experience in the teaching of Mathematics not only in public but also in private schools. She loves to teach Mathematics, and she is full of energy in the classroom. She strives to create a fun environment for her students to learn mathematical foundations.
Ms. Valerie Weber | Middle School English Teacher
Email: weber@saoc.org
Miss Weber has worked in the educational system for over ten years. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Northern Illinois University. Before coming to SAC, she taught Spanish and Music and choreographed and directed several middle school musicals. Ms. Weber also came to SAC with five years working experience in ESL education. In her spare time, Miss Weber enjoys reading, writing poetry, and dancing. Miss Weber believes in the power of reading and writing as a way for students to find their interests and voice. She believes that engagement and wonder are the true ingredients for academic success and works diligently to keep her students entertained and challenged. To see her students’ eyes light up with delight is one of her favorite things in life. This winter will be her 5th year and she is proud to be a part of the SAC family.
Ms. Mary Neely | 5th and 7th Grade ELA | Gifted ELA Teacher | Library Coordinator
Email: neely@saoc.org
This is Ms. Neely’s second year with SAOC and she is thrilled to be back! She obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing with an Education Minor, graduating summa cum laude through the honors program, from Columbia College Chicago. Her experience with Gifted Education reaches far beyond teaching – as a student, she was involved in her school’s Gifted program. Gifted Education was essential for her as a student, and that first-hand experience continues to hold a large impact in her work as a teacher. As a teacher, she believes that every student should be provided the tools to thrive, not just survive, in their educational career. While she loves to bring fun to class, outside of school, she can be found spending quality time with her friends and family over a Starbucks drink or attending a live production of the latest musical; she’s sometimes even seen at a live sporting event. If you’re lucky, you’ll see her doing some of these activities with her adorable dog named Chip!
Mr. Zeferino Martinez | 5th-8th Grade Social Studies
Email: martinez@saoc.org
Mr. Martinez is the social studies teacher for 5th-8th grade students. He attended Lewis University and graduated with a degree in secondary education and history. Furthermore, he graduated with the highest honors and was awarded the senior departmental award for history. He believes it is important to help guide each and every student in practicing and mastering a skill. Over time, his goal is to build the student’s confidence in themselves so that they will in turn need less guidance and master their skill. He enjoys playing guitar and running in his free time.
Mrs. Hanym Gasanova | 6th-8th Science Teacher
Email: gasanova@saoc.org
A new year brings new opportunities! This is the fourth year at Science Academy. She graduated from University of California, Irvine with an undergraduate degree in Biological Science in 2011. Her philosophy is ” Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” She encourages her students to use their knowledge in real life situations and try to implement them . She is trilingual and can fluently speak English, Turkish, and Russian. She is married and has four kids. She enjoys playing piano, cooking, and spending time with friends.
SPECIALS TEACHERS
Ms. Emilia Ganev | ESL Coordinator and ESL Teacher
Email: Ganev@saoc.org
This is Mrs. Ganev’s second year at Science Academy of Chicago. She is our ESL coordinator and ESL teacher. Mrs. Ganev received her Bachelor’s degree from Paisii Hilendarski University of Plovdiv, Bulgaria in 2006 with a major in English Language, Culture and Literature. She has been teaching ESL for the past 10 years. Mrs. Ganev is ISBE and WIDA certified and possesses endorsements in English as a Second language and English Language Arts. English has always been her passion and she is excited to help anybody who wants to learn it! She is fluent in Bulgarian, English and also knows some Russian. She is currently studying Spanish and her next goal is to learn Turkish. In her free time she likes spending time with her family and visiting new places, doing yoga, and reading a nice book. She is really happy to be part of our team and provide the so needed support to our English learners!
Ms. Jessica Delaluz | PK-8 Spanish Language & ESL Teacher
Email: delaluz@saoc.org
Ms. Delaluz teaches beginning and intermediate Spanish and ESL to the students of SAC. She has traveled extensively throughout Europe and Northern Africa. She believes she is lucky to have had the opportunity to teach students of such diverse backgrounds and to watch them develop their abilities to express themselves en español and enhance their English language literacy in ESL.
Ms. Nesrin Ates | Turkish Language Teacher
Email: ates@saoc.org
Mrs. Ates has been working with the kids for more than 16 years. In 2007 Ms.Ates graduated from the University of Selcuk in Turkey with a Bachelor of Turkish Teaching degree in Elementary and Middle Education. Over the past 16 years, she gained many experiences during volunteering and guided primary, secondary, high school, and university students. She has been in the USA since 2011 and worked as a youth coordinator and administrator at the weekend school for many years. Mrs. Ates has been married for thirteen years and has three children. This is her second year at SAC. She teaches 2rd-8th grade students, and she is very happy to be part of this school.
Ms. Brittany Molenda | 3rd, 5th-8th Computer Science Teacher | IT Coordinator
Email: molenda@saoc.org
Ms. Molenda teaches 3rd and 5th-8th grade students various technology applications and programming and manages the IT needs of the school and staff. Ms. Molenda has been with SAC since 2019 after she graduated from North Central College with a dual major in Computer Science and Psychology with a focus on child and adolescent Psychology. She loves getting to work with students to help them navigate various technological applications and teach them how to be safe when interacting with Technology. During her free time, Ms. Molenda enjoys playing video games or curling up to watch a good movie or tv show with a warm cup of tea.
Mrs. Gulzina Myrzalieva | Engineering and PLTW Teacher
Email: gulzina@saoc.org
Mrs. Gulzina is an Engineering and PLTW teacher. Also, she leads our school VEX Robotics Team. Mrs. Gulzina has a Master Degree of Education in Curriculum and Instruction: Educational Technology from North American University, Texas. She has experience as an engineering and science teacher in Dallas, Texas. She taught PLTW Automation and Robotics, App Creators, Computer Science for Innovators and Makers, Medical Detectives, Green Architecture, Design and Modeling courses in Texas.
Mrs. Rani Han | PK-8th Music Teacher
Email: han@saoc.org
Mrs. Han earned a Bachelor of Music from Seoul National University in Korea; a Master of Music from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati, Ohio, and a Master of Arts in Divinity with a Specialization in Church Music from Campbell University in Buies Creek, North Carolina. She is a highly accomplished professional musician with performance experience with a large number of distinguished symphony orchestras around the world on her instrument, the double bass. She also has used her musical talents leading worship in churches and Christian ministries in many locations. Her teaching experiences includes serving on the faculty at several colleges and high schools in Korea and America before discovering a passion for teaching and helping young students develop academically, mentally, and emotionally through music. Most recently she has taught general music with Orff instruments, recorders, and ukuleles.
Ms. Rebecca Staszek | PK – 8th Art Teacher
Email: staszak@saoc.org
Ms. Gabriela Zoerink | Engineering and PLTW Teacher
Email: zoerink@saoc.org
Mr. Alec Bollman | 2-8 Physical Education Teacher
Email: bollman@saoc.org
Coach Bollman has been in the education field since 2015; with past jobs as an Elementary P.E teacher in St. Louis, Missouri, and a long-term substitute teacher in Palatine, Illinois. This is his second year at SAC and he is looking forward to building positive relationships with each student and teaching the values of a healthy life. He competed for Palatine High School and earned an athletic scholarship to run Cross Country/Track at Iowa State University, where he also completed his bachelor’s in Kinesiology and Physical Education. His love for teaching and physical fitness comes from years of athletic competitions, coaching, and passion for everyone to live a healthy lifestyle. When he is not at school, you can find Mr. Bollman doing workouts of his own, spending time with family and friends, and enjoying any outdoor activity.
Mr. Ahmet Sahin | SEL Teacher | Elective Teacher
Email: asahin@saoc.org
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
Ms. Brianna Bartucci | Principal
Email: bartucci@saoc.org
Ms. Brianna Bartucci has worked in the field of education for 16 years. This is her eighth year serving as Director of Science Academy of Chicago and previously taught English Language Arts to fourth through eighth grades at SAC for four years. Ms. Bartucci graduated from DePaul University’s School of Education with a degree in Secondary Education with a content area of English. She holds an ISBE Type 09 certificate and endorsements in Middle School Education and High School English grades 9-12. She is currently completing a degree in Educational Leadership with a teacher leader endorsement for the K-12 specialty area. In addition to administrating and teaching, she is an active member of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) that provides educational resources such as best-practices, classroom proved strategies and research-based lessons that work with students. Furthermore, Ms. Bartucci was an active one-on-one tutor specializing in the mastery of writing and vocabulary practice. Ms. Bartucci believes that the goal of any academic program is the development of life-long learners who are equipped to solve problems with flexible critical thinking skills and the knowledge of how to seek out resources to develop interests and talents. She has a strong passion for education and establishing an engaging, fun yet challenging environment. Ms. Bartucci is also an advocate for the creative arts, in relation to creative writing in genres such as poetry, drama, fiction and memoir writing. Outside of school, Ms. Bartucci loves cooking and traveling. She resides in the suburbs of Chicago with her husband, daughter, and two dogs.
Mr. Ahmet Yildiz | Assistant Principal
Email: yildiz@saoc.org
Mr. Ahmet Yildiz has 25 years of experience in education. He is currently in his third year at the Science Academy of Chicago. Prior to this, he served as the Education Coordinator for TASOM in Saint Louis, MO, for three years. Before relocating to the US, he spent seven years as a school principal at Fatih College in Istanbul, Turkey. Mr. Yildiz also held positions at Orizont Educational Institutions in Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, including vice general manager, AP, English Teacher, and head of the English department. He is an authorized Cambridge Examiner and has worked at Cambridge ESOL Examination Center and Alliance Francaise de Moldavie Authorized Exam Center, and at British Side, Istanbul, Turkey. Mr. Yildiz has experience coordinating EU Lifelong Learning Program projects during his tenure as a school principal. His educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in English Philology from Comrat State University, as well as certifications such as CELTA by Cambridge and TESOL by Arizona State University. He earned his Ph.D. in Pedagogical Sciences from Ion Creanga State Pedagogical University in Chisinau, Moldova. Outside of his professional life, Mr. Yildiz enjoys photography, cooking, spending quality time with his family, and exploring new destinations through travel. He is multilingual, proficient in four languages, and has been happily married for twenty-one years, with two children.
Mrs. Muyesser Korkmaz | Assistant Principal | Dean of Students
Email: korkmaz@saoc.org
Mrs. Korkmaz taught Turkish for seven years at the Science Academy of Chicago and as a director for Fountain Academy for six years. She graduated from Roosevelt University with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and with a minor in Education. Mrs. Korkmaz loves teaching and hopes that each one of her students is inspired to be the best they can be. She enjoys teaching the values of character education while encouraging the students to take responsibility for their actions. She hopes they become good citizens with high morals and values. She believes that the teachings of morals, ethics, and character traits are invaluable. Mrs. Korkmaz is married and has two children, she loves reading and spending time with family and friends.
Ms. Karyn Leal | Enrollment Coordinator
Email: leal@saoc.org
This is Ms. Karyn’s second year at SAC! You can always find her with a smile on her face. When not doing enrollment you can find her in the office helping. She graduated from Northern Illinois University with a Bachelor’s in Marketing and Business administration. In her free time, she likes to hang out with friends and family and just relax!
Mrs. Fathima N Sari | IT & Asst. Administrator
Email: fathma@saoc.org
Mrs. Fathima has worked in the education field for more than seventeen years. This is the fourth year for her to be part of the Science Academy of Chicago big family. This is her second year also she serve as Fountain Academy Director. She has been teaching as a homeroom teacher, Math or Science subjects at the primary level, she also served as a school administrator for more than eight years. She graduated from UNTAG Surabaya University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electronic Engineering. She also completed her Early Childhood Education and Development at Neo College in Mombasa. She has been taught in different schools and countries since 2009, in Mombasa and Nairobi Kenya, Islamabad Pakistan, Hulhumale’ Maldives, and Phnom Penh Cambodia. She is also the founder of Prestige Bilingual School Medan, Indonesia. With her colleagues she turned the coffee factory into a school from scratch. She loved being with the children and teaching them fun approaches. She believes each child has their own unique capabilities. During her free time, she loves reading, cooking, outdoor adventure, doing art, and learning something new to fill her curiosity.
